Diagnostic assay for Helicobacter hepaticus based on nucleotide sequence of its 16S rRNA gene

Abstract

Conserved primers were used to PCR amplify 95% of the Helicobacter hepaticus 165 rRNA gene. Its sequence was determined and aligned to those of related bacteria, enabling the selection of primers to highly diverged regions of the 165 rRNA gene and an oligonucleotide probe for the development of a PCR-liquid hybridization assay. This assay was shown to be both sensitive and specific for H. hepaticus 165 rRNA gene sequences.